What are people saying about The Pathway to Love:

“Insightful, practical, heartfully and psychologically sound, The Pathway to Love provides the steppingstones to creating genuine love in your life. It is a must-read for those who value honesty, authentic commitment to self and other, and appreciate relationship as a vehicle to self-actualization.”

You will wonder at times how she knew about you and a particular significant other because she seems to describe you and the relationship to a T. And, when you read the last page you will wish you had read it years and a number of relationships earlier.

Irene Conlan

I have read other books on this topic which spoke to me... This book, which I got in the Kindle version, pulled it all together for me--the biology, personal values, self identity, the human quest for belonging and intimacy. The book... brought to me great understanding. I wish I had ordered the paper version with the workbook. I ended up going back and ordering it.

Paula Markgraf Katz

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Entries in relationship challenges
(12)

I woke up this morning without my sense of humor. I was feeling pretty good yesterday. That is, until I expressed my concerns about a family event to my significant other. His response was less than helpful, although I know his intentions were good. So instead of feeling reassured, I ended up with a feeling of "yuck." To make matters worse, I continued to express another concern that came to mind in reaction to his "sharing." He not only fell asleep soon after this vulnerable moment but then later during the night proceeded to initiate "you know what" in a way that was in direct opposition to what I had requested just some five hours earlier.

So I begin to question things. Is he passive aggressive? Is he tuned out? Did he forget the importance of what I was communicating? Is he simply clueless?

Then I remembered.... He's just a guy. But he's my guy. And yes, sometimes he's passive aggressive, sometimes he's tuned out, and sometimes he's simply forgetful and clueless. That's just the way it goes from time to time.

Now, for you guys out there that are feeling attacked and picked on—I implore you to refrain from hitting "reply" and sending me letters. Because you have your own version for us gals. There are moments when you shake your head in disbelief at the things we say and do, the things we want, and the way we think and feel. There are no double standards here—the same goes for everyone.

Now, back to my story.

So I woke up this morning thinking, who is this guy I live with and why do I? I began to think of all the reasons why I should "dump" him. But after a short while, I stopped myself. I took some deep breaths and started to see things more clearly.

He's a great guy and an imperfect guy. He behaves like a typical man—which is sometimes good and sometimes challenging. He's the person I love and with whom I have chosen to share my life.

Then I turned the mirror toward myself? Who am I in this equation?

I'm someone who has high expectations and isn't afraid to ask for what I need and express how I feel. I'm someone who is sensitive and who at times will over-react to situations and events when my expectations aren't met and when I'm feeling exceptionally vulnerable. I'm also someone who at the end of the day can sort all that out and find perspective and a sense of humor once again.

So as I sit here this morning and remember what is truly important, I wanted to share these thoughts with you. When you find yourself disappointed, baffled, frustrated, or at a loss for words, remember this.

Your partner is not perfect and never will be. Men are men, women are women. And while the differences that exist between you and your partner can be challenging at times, in the end, they are what makes the relationship work.

Your expectations will not be met—at least, most of the time. Expectations are really another way to say "I wish you were more like me." Find your way back to appreciating the fact that your partner isn't more like you. Two of you would simply be too much of one thing.

Find your sense of humor. Most people have good will most of the time. Most situations are harmless (and for those that aren't, please refer to my other articles that address real relationship problems) and for those that are harmless, let go and laugh about it. Find a way to look at your partner and their baffling behavior as endearing comic relief.

And finally, don't take any of it personally.

As for me? I've worked my way back to a grin and am finding my way toward a little chuckle :-)....

If you or someone you know is struggling to create a loving and intimate relationship, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I am here to provide personalized guidance and coaching. And if you want to start right now, go and purchase The Pathway to Love at-home program. You don’t need to wait. You can begin the process today. Take advantage of the opportunity receive the support and guidance you deserve.

As always, I’m here to support you in creating a transformational life and strong and powerful relationships.

“The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” – Sound familiar? It should. This well-known phrase captures what every person in or out of a relationship thinks from time to time. If you’re currently single, you may be thinking about how much you miss having a partner—someone with whom you can share love, laughter, and life experiences. You long for someone to hold and be with—a relationship that fills those basic human needs and alleviates your moments of loneliness and emptiness.

If you’re in a committed relationship, you just may be thinking about days gone by when you did not have to answer to anyone—when you could sleep, eat, play and shop—when, where and how you pleased. You long for some alone time and the feeling of independence. You miss your freedom.

I want you to know that “missing” the other side is not only normal, but expected. There are benefits and costs to being single and coupled. There will always be a longing, an appreciation and a loss, regardless of your relationship status. It is not a matter of if you feel these things, it is how you move through these times of discontent. No one package is perfect. So here are some realties and coping strategies to help you deal with your moments of doubt.

If you are transitioning from singlehood to couplehood, or couplehood to singlehood, here is what you have in store and how you can cope. Be prepared to deal with the following:

As you continue to deepen your relationship and take risks, you will have moments when “things” feel out of control. As you experience changes in your life, such as moving in with your significant other, getting engaged, getting married, ending or starting a new job or business, having children, becoming ill, etc. you will find yourself coping with these changes in varied ways. Your personal coping mechanisms have been developing for many years and are activated the moment change occurs and as a result, you feel out of control. Feeling out of control when change is upon you is quite normal. Reacting to feeling out of control is also normal.

What’s surprising is that your coping mechanisms for dealing with change can deceive you. You may believe you are reacting to something else when in truth you are simply struggling with change. It is important to understand this dynamic because what you don’t know may hurt you.

Let me give you some examples. The “something else” can look like

Your partner is not paying enough attention to you

Your partner can’t seem to do or say anything right

You feel unappreciated and unsupported

You feel insatiable, like your needs and wants are a bottomless pit

You are easily irritated and annoyed

You are eating, smoking, drinking, and sleeping— too much or too little

You feel overwhelmed, like there is not enough of you to go around

You feel like something is wrong with you but can’t put your finger on it

If you relate to any of these and have recently experienced any kind of change in your life, you are suffering from what I call – Control Mania. This entails trying to find something or someway to feel back in control—of yourself, your life, and your relationships.

As you settle into a long-term relationship, you settle into its particular rhythm. Every relationship has one and every rhythm is unique to that relationship. Sometimes you will affect your relationship; sometimes life will impact its ebb and flow. Either way, you can be sure that your path will not be a smooth ride without any bumps or detours. Yours may look something like this—
Everything has been going just fine for some time until one day you discover that your significant other has kept something from you...

I have worked with thousands of people over the years. And I have seen countless numbers of people tolerate issues within their relationship that they never thought they would beforehand. One of the exercises in The Pathway to Love Workbook and Guide is to identify your “deal breakers.” This is an easy task for most people. You may believe you know what you can and cannot live with and write these things down with ease. In real life, however, it can be incredibly difficult to follow-through on deal breakers. Knowing is not always doing. Instead, you may find yourself settling and living with issues and people that simply don’t work for you. You may find yourself denying, rationalizing, and pacifying the realities. People do it all the time. And this is why.
Once you’ve declared a behavior or trait a deal breaker, your well-being, power, and integrity are at stake. So is your relationship. This is the pull and pressure one has to contend with once you’ve identified a deal breaker. No one likes to face the real possibility that loss is imminent. No one wants to have a broken heart. But in the end, your personal power and well-being are what counts. Ignoring deal breakers will only cause ongoing heartache and pain. So here are my suggestions on how to navigate this delicate issue as your relationship develops and becomes more real.